Nate Diaz takes a jibe at lightweight title contenders Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira by claiming he's 'headlining' UFC 262
Nate Diaz threw a sneering remark at the main event (Charles Oliveria vs. Michael Chandler) for UFC 262. The UFC superstar, set to grace the octagon in the co-main event on May 15th, claims to be the actual headliner for UFC 262.
Presently fighting at welterweight, Nate Diaz was once a top-shelf UFC lightweight contender. Taking a dig at the forthcoming 155-pound title matchup, the Stockton native tweeted that his 'old crown' will be on the line at UFC 262.
Earlier this month, the UFC announced Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira for the main event at UFC 262. The fight was brought to fruition following Khabib Nurmagomedov's official retirement. The fight is set to be hosted at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and will be the second pay-per-view event with a live audience in attendance.
Following Nate Diaz's recent tweet, it appears the UFC star is still interested in competing at 155 pounds. With his arch-rivals Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier residing in the lightweight bracket, Nate Diaz has many interesting matchups awaiting him there.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani on ESPN, Nate Diaz hinted at being interested in a fight against Charles Oliveira. With the Brazilian being booked for the UFC 262 title fight, Diaz vs. Oliveira is off the cards for now:
"Who's the guy who beat... Ferguson? That’s the guy right there. I’ll fight that guy right there, that’s who I’ll fight," said Diaz.
Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards set to be a historic event
Never in the history of the promotion has there been a five-round co-main event for a PPV. But it appears the UFC is ready to tweak its rules for Nate Diaz at UFC 262.
This may favor Diaz, as he is known for pushing the pace in the later rounds, courtesy of his impressive cardio.
Nate Diaz last fought in September 2019 for the BMF title against Jorge Masvidal. Due to a doctor stoppage, the fight had to be waved off and Masvidal was declared the victor. Later, Diaz claimed that he was 'just getting started' and had sensed 'Gamebred' slowing down as the rounds proceeded further:
"I didn’t think they we going to stop it, I was getting ready to get started... so I was like, I’m not even going to really push until round 4. My game plan was about to kick in..", said Nate Diaz in the post-fight interview at UFC 244.